More than 2,000 kilometers separate Benito Villamarín from Celtic Park, the scene in which today the Betis It will close its participation in the group stage of the Europa League, in a match that should serve to prepare in the best possible way for Sunday’s important meeting against Real Sociedad. That is the message that Manuel Pellegrini conveyed yesterday, that he wants his team to maintain that healthy habit of winning against Celtic that keeps them very much alive in all competitions.
The possibility of achieving the sixth consecutive victory will not be the only incentive that Betis will have. To the 630,000 euros that each victory in the European competition represents, money that would help the delicate Verdiblanca treasury, is also added the prestige that comes from winning in a historic stadium like Celtic.
Although the Scottish team is not going through its best moments, Ange Postecoglou’s are a European classic and one of the four teams that have competed in this Europa League that have won the highest continental competition, so a European victory will serve to raise their international curriculum.
Everything would have been different if Celtic were to win in Leverkusen, where they came back in the last ten minutes (3-2), but the absence of sporting objectives will cause both coaches to make changes to their line-ups. If Postecoglou indicated that he will take advantage of the duel to give the less common players a chance, Pellegrini will maintain his usual policy of rotations and the eleven that jumps to Celtic Park will be very similar to the one that beat CFI Alicante in the Copa del Rey last week.
Players such as Pezzella, the coach’s companion at the press conference, Édgar, Miranda, Paul, William Carvalho, Diego Lainez, Borja Iglesias or captain Joaquín, who has started in all the matches of the European competition, will once again have a Opportunity to show they are prepared for larger dates.
That ambition to gain more presence in the team will be key for Betis to maintain the competitive spirit that it has exhibited since the beginning of the season and against a Celtic that always puts one more march in the heat of its fans.
The Scottish team in Heliópolis has already shown that they treat the ball well, so Betis will have to add a point of intensity to their football without the ball if they intend to command in the match. The Heliopolitans were also surprised by the start of the Catholic team, which came to send 0-2 at Benito Villamarín, and that should serve as experience.
Betis’ European horizon will continue in February, but maintaining the habit of winning will be key to aspiring to higher heights in the final stretch of the season.
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